Ken Lum was born in Vancouver in 1956. He received both his Bachelor of Science degree in 1980, and his MFA in 1985, from the University of British Columbia, where he is now a professor of Fine Arts. He uses photography, photo-text juxtapositions, sculptural components and ideas about language to produce an art that addresses social concerns. Lum, who is ethnically Chinese, has sought to explore identity through his art.